Update July 26, 1.20 pm UTC: This article has been updated to quote Eleonor Genova of Nexo.
Elon Musk’s X is once again causing a stir in the cryptocurrency community by removing cryptocurrency emojis, which had been in use for over four years.
The crypto community on X is puzzled by the reasons for deleting several crypto emojis — including Bitcoin (BTC) — from the social media platform.
According to multiple reports, X removed the Bitcoin hashtag emoji alongside a few other crypto emojis on July 25.
Community calls for Bitcoin emoji with Unicode
The cryptocurrency community has quickly reacted to the news on the crypto emoji removals, with many industry advocates expressing sadness about the missing emojis.
“Freedom and freedom of expression are fundamental reasons many of us embraced Bitcoin. Though seemingly small, the Bitcoin emoji represents a grand idea, much like the Peace sign, which played a role in ending wars,” Eleonor Genova, head of communications at Nexo, told Cointelegraph.
According to Genova, there is an “urgent need for an independent, universal digital symbol,” and that responsibility now lies with Unicode. She went on to say that it’s unacceptable to have multiple emojis related to money and dollars while there’s none for a community that has faced “years of scrutiny and yet managed to transform global economics within just 15 years.”
“Bitcoin is not just an asset; it's a revolution that deserves recognition,” Genova stated.
Crypto emoji removals on X are not limited to Bitcoin
Amid crypto emoji removals, some industry observers speculated that removing Bitcoin emojis from X could negatively impact the price. However, the removals were not exclusive to BTC.
Other coins, such as Cronos (CRO) and BNB (BNB), have also seen their hashtags deleted from X after being created in 2020.
As previously reported, X co-founder Jack Dorsey officially debuted the Bitcoin emoji in February 2020. At the time, Bitcoin was trading at around $10,000, according to data from CoinGecko.
Removal of emojis occurred during Bitcoin 2024 conference
The timing of the move has puzzled some observers, happening just as the Bitcoin 2024 conference began in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 25.
Related: Elon Musk lashes out at EU over ‘illegal’ free speech deal
The conference will feature some massive speakers, including Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Trump, who has called himself a pro-crypto candidate, will speak at the conference on July 27.
Before removing cryptocurrency emojis from X, Musk added a dedicated emoji for the Trump-themed memecoin, MAGA (TRUMP), on July 18. The MAGA emoji has also been removed from X.
The emoji featured the former president with his fist raised in the air after surviving an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in mid-July. Musk shared a photograph shortly after the shooting and declared that he was “fully” endorsing Trump as a presidential candidate.
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